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Article published November 14, 2012

Proven wrong again

GG
Rick Devore Butler

In her Nov. 9 letter “Terrified about future,” Colleen Hroncich said she struggled to comprehend the re-election of President Barack Obama, citing “trillion-dollar deficits, weakness abroad, apologizing for America instead of promoting our ideals, class warfare, racial demagoguery, trampling religious liberty” and “pandering to women.”Let’s look at the facts.First, two-thirds of the current estimated $15 trillion deficit was compiled during the George W. Bush administration, and we still are paying for two wars.Weakness abroad? America’s standing in the world and the president’s popularity are much higher now than during the Bush era.Friends of mine in England and Ireland are ecstatic that Obama won.Apologizing for America? It never happened. Conservative pundits often cite the “Obama apology tour.” Obama did tour the Middle East, but he never apologized to anybody for anything.People should do some research. It’s a fallacy.As for class warfare, the middle class is being squeezed while a handful of wealthy Americans possess more wealth than the rest of America combined.The ultra-rich elite are paying the lowest tax rates ever.Class warfare is being waged from the top down.“Racial demogoguery” and “trampling religious freedom” are charges that are so baseless that they aren’t worthy of rebuttal.Part of the success of the Obama campaign was its appeal to women. The Republican Party has ramped up its attacks on women’s rights and equality, and most women, being generally smarter than men, see that and voted for their best interests.Hroncich’s comments illustrate how smug, xenophobic conservative Republicans who watch Fox News cling to the notion that they are the only real Americans, and that their collective voice is the only voice that should be heard.On Nov. 6, they were proven wrong once again.